Jennifer Cares

Hope: Be Your Own BFF

Who can support you when you’re starting to feel like nobody else does? YOU!

Too many times, I see caregivers become very critical of themselves. Self-doubt feeds on itself, and can easily lead to lack of confidence, low self-esteem, even depression.

This week, let’s create new hope in our lives by focusing on being more of a friend to ourselves. We can:

be quick to forgive our mistakes

be ready with a kind word or thought

replace negative behaviors like judging ourselves, and putting ourselves down with positive ones like accepting who we are, and motivating ourselves to be the best we can be.

A psychologist I know talks about it like this: think of how you would deal with a child who is struggling to find themselves, and feel good about themselves. What kinds of words would you use to comfort and encourage him or her? Give yourself that same feeling and tone this week. It’ll be easier to feel hopeful when you experience that kind of strength.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Take Care Tuesday, where I feature a ten minute tip you can use to make you’re life easier!

As an RN for 33 years, I can relate to needing encouragement and a kind word or two just to make the day go better. I saw this quote posted at work a few years back, but I don’t know who said it or should get the credit for it. “There’s only 13 inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rear.” It’s so true. Caregivers are a group of people who don’t seem to get a lot of recognition for all they do, but let one little thing go wrong, and I guarantee, we’ll hear about it.
Thanks, Jennifer, for the words of advice today.
God Bless!!!

We are always hardest on ourselves,even when we can forgive and encourage the whole rest of the world we will be down on ourselves.I believe we are actually our own worst enemy.Thank you for the advice to feel better about myself. Cause how can you affectivly love others if you can’t appreciate youself

Working as a firefighter/EMT for the past 7 years, sometimes its very hard to be happy with yourself, you do things and see things most people would not dream of. we dont get to many people out their telling us we are doing a good job, we just get the ones that tell us we are doing it wrong and not fast enough, but i try to take it with a grain of salt. i offten wonder if i could have done something better to help someone or if i did something different to save that persons life, but i finaly realized that its not up to me! so im going to try a be not so tough on myself! so thank you Mrs. Jennifer im going to try and do things better…

What do you do when you’re always the one paying to get you and your spouse out of a jam when money is involved? I’ve been doing this for 14 yrs now. When something needs to get paid in the hundreds or thousands I am always the one paying for it by myself. This has left me in debt two times already. When it’s time to pay it back I need help and I never get the help from my spouse not even half. He says he doesn’t make enough money to help me pay it back and if he did he would. So why do I feel used, I am sick and tired of doing it alone. If it weren’t for me dishing out the money we would’ve been homeless and hungry many times. I don’t mind paying half but I have to pay for it all because he never has any money. What should I do I need my spouse to help his wife out. I told him if I needed some money from him I guess I wouldn’t get it because he never has any money. I would be up shit’s creek without a paddle if I had to depend on him. I don’t know what else to do?

After reading I thought to myself I /we do our best each and everyday for our families / bosse’s & job’s / friend’s / relative’s / etc. We are the glue that hold’s everything together, and we don’t alway’s succeed in doing so we are the hardest on ourselve’s we ask ourselve’s Why?
Nature…………….so from now on I will learn by your advice and promise not to be so hard on me
Thank you
Mary from Michigan

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About Jennifer Cares

Making Life Easier for Caregivers

Welcome to jennifer cares blog. You take care of kids, spouses, bosses, friends, family, pets, houses, and more. When's the last time you did anything just for you? It's time to take care of yourself. We can help.

Whether you’re one of the 65.7 million traditional volunteer family caregivers out there taking care of a sick or elderly family member, or just a busy person who struggles to find time for you; we will give you inspiration, motivation, and easy strategies to help you care for yourself while you’re taking care of others. We’d like you to think of this blog as a friend you can turn to for support, and a positive boost to your day. Jennifer can help you to lessen the burden of caregiving and show you how to appreciate the journey for the blessing it truly is.